Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-03
The Mare.
Rural New Yorker

In horse breeding It's as important
that the mare should be perfect, as that
the stallion should be so. In fact some
consider it more so, and this is the case
with the horses of the Arabs, who for
centuries excelled all other nations in
their breed Of horses. So highly do they
think of the mare that they count her
only in the records of their horse pedi-
grees, and in detailing the pedigrees of
the progeny they mention the dams only,
while "Western," breeders give more con-
spicuons mention to the sires. In their
stealthy forays they prefer her for the
mount; but perhaps this is because on
such occasions she never neighs as the
stations are apt to do on a close ap-
proach to the enemy. Like the Ameri-
can Indians, it is their rule to steal noise
lessly upon their foes in order the more
surely to surprise and overwhelm them
before they can gather together for de-
Tense.
Now I emphatically say to our farmers
select such mares as are the most perfect
in form and action; as nearly as possible
of the proper size for the progeny you
may wish to rear, and above all, let them
be entirely sound in wind and limb, of a
kind temper, and yet bold-spirited and
plucky. On no account breed from an
unsound animal, especially one unsound
in legs, wind and feet, for nine cases out
of ten the unsoundness will crop out
sooner or later in her offspring, and thus
render them more or less worthless.
Spring is the usual time in which far
mers in general prefer to have their colts
dropped; but some-and the number is
on the increase-who have good barns and
warm stables, prefer the autumn. The
reasons for this are that work is much
greater and more driving in spring, and
that the autumn foaling mare can go
through it with much less danger of in
Jury. Whereas if mare is to foal in
spring it would be dangerous to use her at
all, for in so doing she is liable to stink
the colt prematurely or cast it dead. In
any event hard work for the dam weak
ems the offspring before the birth, and
lessons its subsequent growth and Wig
Or.
In spring the mare is turned to grass,
which at this time is quite lush, and does
not give SO nourishing quality of milk
as she yields in autumn and winter when
her ration of hay and wheat, bran and
grain is drier and richer. She ought then
to have roomy stall and dry yard we'll
llIu6T0u, III WHICH DOGn she ana Gn0 CO1G
can exercise in mild weather; or, what is
about as we'll except in severe weather
she should have for stable tight board
ed shed, open only to the south. The
floor of the stable should be of dry earth
or sand, for if the colt stands on plank
brick or stone, it will be liable to ring
bone, and making it nearly worthless to
rear.
The colt should be taught to eat as soon
as it will, a pint or two of oats with a
quart of wheat bran daily, and this ration
should be gradually increased with its
age, till it can take double the amount
night and morning. Wheat bran is ex
cellent for worms, and colts that are fed
with very moderate quantity of it
daily are scarcely ever troubled with these
pests.
When the colt is fed its ration OF grain
this should be placed in a box by itself, a
little distance from the mare, and her
head should be tied up with a halter SO
far away that she can not reach the grain.
The colt can then eat the whole of it slow
ly and without disturbance, which is high
ly important to his digestion, vigor and
growth.